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Film scholars agree that Hollywood portrayals of America at war follow
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Updated on: 21 Aug 2019, 04:30

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Film scholars agree that Hollywood portrayals of America at war follow a cyclical pattern. During and immediately after a conflict, important films trumpet glory and sacrifice. Ten to fifteen years later, questioning and sometimes pacifistic movies about the conflict dominate. In the late 1960’s, “the raging bulls” of Hollywood--the young trendsetters rising to prominence--proclaimed this pattern obsolete. However, the passage of time has demonstrated this cultural pattern to be more resilient than it seemed in those days of social change.

Throughout the majority of the last century, evidence of the cyclical portrayal of war in film abounds. After America declared war against Germany during World War I, the still infant film industry glorified the fight against “the Hun.” By the early 1930's, major releases had changed their tone; for example, All Quiet on the Western Front put forth an anti-war message by displaying the horrors of combat. After World War II began, the industry shifted gears. Suddenly, important pictures again portrayed glories and courage without the questioning or despair. For example, Guadalcanal Diary, produced during the war, showed “the ultimate sacrifice” as a noble and undoubted good. Once again, though, by 1957, films such as The Bridge on the River Kwai won awards for depicting the moral confusion of war.

Those who later declared this pattern dead based their conviction on their hearts rather than their minds. During the Vietnam War, the only major film about that conflict was The Green Berets, starring John Wayne and far closer in tone to Guadalcanal Diary than to The Bridge on the River Kwai. Similarly, years went by before more complex visions of war, such as Apocalypse Now, and then Platoon, emerged.

While today’s film industry is more diverse and its audience more culturally fragmented, this cycle largely continues. Jarhead, a layered depiction of the first gulf war, premiered more than ten years after that conflict. Further evidence of this pattern can be seen in the release of Apocalypse Now Redux, which contained additional footage that the producers originally thought would repel audiences. Thus, the famous aphorism “The more things change, the more they stay the same” certainly applies to this aspect of the film industry.

Q1) According to the passage, Apocalypse Now Redux differed from Apocalypse Now in which of the following ways?A. The added footage made it less appealing to a more culturally diverse audience.B. The added footage made its portrayal of war less glorified and more ambiguous.C. The added footage made its portrayal of war less harsh and more glorified.D. The added footage made it more similar in tone to other war movies.E. The removed footage made its portrayal of war less glorified and less appealing.

Q2)The passage implies that the combat depicted in All Quiet on the Western Front least resembles the depiction of combat in which of the following?A: JarheadB: Apocalypse NowC: The Bridge on the River KwaiD: PlatoonE: Guadalcanal Diary

Q4)What is the main point made by the author?A: Hollywood has never fully supported America’s armed conflicts.B: In the last century, the film industry has become more culturally diverse.C: An established cultural pattern is more durable than was thought during a time of social upheaval.D: The film industry has only supported American military efforts during the actual conflict.E: Cyclical patterns determine the type of big budget films produced by Hollywood more than individuals do.

5. What is the function of the last paragraph of the passage?A) It shows that, despite changes in the industry and audience, the pattern discussed still exists.B) It points out that the film industry never changes.C) It shows that changes in the film industry and its audience have made the pattern previously discussed obsolete.D) It discusses how Jarhead and Apocalypse Now Redux are fundamentally different from all the war movies that preceded them.E) It demonstrates that war movies have changed to reflect the more culturally diverse audience.

Q6)Which one of the following does the author believe is true about The Bridge on the River Kwai?A: It deserved the awards that it won.B: It is a more intelligent and well-crafted movie than The Green Berets.C: It was the first movie to portray the moral confusion of war.D: Its portrayal of war is more ambivalent than that in Guadalcanal Diary.E: It was more financially successful than any war movie that came before it.

Passage 1 1. Apocalypse Now Reduxand Apocalypse Nowwere discussed in the final two paragraphs. In the third paragraph, Apocalypse Nowis described as a film that was released years after the conflict it portrayed and had a more complex view of the war. In the last paragraph, Apocalypse Now Redux is presented as further evidence that the pattern discussed in this passage continues. That pattern is that war movies presented less glorifiedand more layered portrayals when the conflict was further in the past. Thus, the correct answer will note that its perspective was more complex andmorally ambiguous. (A) This choice distorts the meaning of the passage. While the last paragraph notes that film audiences are more diverse, this isnot connected to the information provided about Apocalypse Now Redux. (B) CORRECT.The last paragraph notes that the extra footage was not orginally included because it might repel audiences. Thus, the updated film's portrayal of war must be less appealing and more ambiguous than thatof the original. (C) This choice indicates a change in the opposite direction; the last paragraph indicates that the additional footage made the film 's perspective on war harsher as opposed to more glorified. (D) The passage indicates that not all war movies had the same tone, and the answer choice does not specify which "other movies"are referred to; therefore, this choice is incorrect. (E) There is no mention of any removed footage in the passage. As it is not possible to know if any footage was removed, this choice is incorrect.

2. The theme of the passage is that the glories of war were emphasized in films made during the conflict but questioned in those made years afterward. In the second paragraph, All Quiet on the Western Frontis cited as an example from the latter category. Therefore, its portrayal of combat would have the least in common with a film made during a conflict. (A) In the last paragraph, Jarheadis listed as a film that was made years after the conflict it portrayed and had an ambivalent attitude to its topic. Thus, it can be inferred that it would resemble All Quiet on the Western Front. Remember that any information gleaned from seeing the film is outside knowledge. If this information cannot be deduced from the passage, it cannot be used to answer a question. (B) In the third paragraph, Apocalypse Nowis listed as a film that was made years after the conflict it portrayed and had an ambivalent attitude to its topic. Thus, it can be inferred that it would resemble All Quiet on the Western Front. (C) In the second paragraph, The Bridge on the River Kwaiis described as a film that was made years after the conflict it portrayedand showed the moral confusion of war. Thus, it can be inferred that it would resemble All Quiet on the Western Front. (D) In the third paragraph, Platoonis described as a film that was made years after the conflict it portrayed and had an ambivalent attitude to its topic. Thus, it can be inferred that it would resemble All Quiet on the Western Front. (E) CORRECT. In both the second and third paragraphs, Guadalcanal Diaryis mentioned as a film made in wartime. In the second paragraph, it is listed as an example of a film that portrayed the “’the ultimatesacrifice’ as a noble and undoubted good.” In contrast, the first paragraph states that “All Quiet on the Western Frontput forth an anti-war message by displaying the horrors of combat.” Thus, Guadalcanal Diarymust be the portrayal of combat that least resembles that in All Quiet on the Western Front.

3. The second sentence of the second paragraph reads “After America declared war against Germany during World War I, the still infant film industry glorified the fight against “the Hun.” Thus, it must follow that the Germans are referred to by that name. GMAT inferences generally follow directly from the text of the passage. (A) There is no direct evidence in the passage thatindicates this meaning for "the Hun." Furthermore, the use of quotation marks indicates that the reference is not literal. (B) There is no direct evidence in the passage thatindicates this meaning for "the Hun." (C) There is no direct evidence in the passage thatindicates this meaning for "the Hun." The fact that the Hungarians were then part of Austro-Hungary is outside knowledge which cannot be deduced from the passage.(D) CORRECT.Since the passage states that America declared waron Germany, it must follow that the Germans were “the Hun” againstwhom America was fighting. (E) There is no direct evidence in the passage thatindicates this meaning for "the Hun." GMAT inferences must follow from the text of the passage.

4. The passage clearly enunciates in the first paragraph that it plans to illustrate the cyclical pattern of the tone of Hollywood war m ovies. The second and third paragraphs trace the pattern's history through the last century, and then the passage ends by returning to the resilience of thatcycle. Thus, the main point of the passage must reference establishing and describing the recurring pattern over time. (A) This choice does not address the cyclical pattern; instead, it suggests a point not made in the passage. (B) This is a minor detail mentioned in the last paragraph, not the main point. Furthermore, this choice ignores the issue of a cyclical pattern. (C) CORRECT. This choice reiterates the theme that a pattern is durable, despite the doubts of some during "those days of social change" -- i.e., the late 1960's. This choice exactly mirrors the structure of the passage, which makes this point, provides historical evidence, and then reiterates that the pattern continues to endure. (D) Besides its extreme quality, this choice is incorrect because it distorts the meaning. The passage's assertion that a more nuanced view of America’s conflicts emerges in movies made years later cannot automatically be equated with a lack of support. (E) This choice presents an irrelevant comparison. The passage is only concerned with the existence of this pattern and does not address the relative influence of various individuals.

5. The last paragraph begins by noting that the changes in the industry and audience have not changed the pattern discussed. The paragraph ends by stating that this aspect of the film industry, thatis, the pattern discussed, remains intact. The correct answer should reflect this point. (A) CORRECT. This choice correctly summarizes the point made in the first and last sentences of the last paragraph: that this pattern continues despite changes in the industry and audience.(B) This choice is too extreme. The passage merely says that one pattern of the film industry has not changed. The last paragraph acknowledges that changes in the industry have occurred. (C) This choice is incorrect as the last paragraph explicitly states that the pattern discussed largely continues. (D) In the last paragraph, Jarhead and Apocalypse Now Redux are mentioned as examples proving that the discussed pattern continues. Thus, they cannot be fundamentally different from other war movies. (E) The point of the last paragraph is that the pattern of the last century continues. Thus, it cannot make the point that war movies havechanged in response to changes in the audience.

6. In the second paragraph, The Bridge on the RiverKwai is mentioned as a post-WWII example of the continuing pattern of war movies becoming more ambivalent years after the conflict. The phrases “once again” and “for example” highlight this. In the third paragraph, the movie is again mentioned as an example of a more complex view of war. Thus, the correct answer must follow from these points. (A) This is incorrect; the author does not discuss the quality of the movie or the merit of any awards. (B) The passage does not compare the intelligence or crafting of these, or any, films; it merely discusses their tone and approach to the depiction of war. A movie could present a glorified depiction of war and also be very intelligent and well-crafted. (C) This is incorrect. The passage indicates that there were movies with ambivalent perspectives produced after the first war, citing All Quiet on the Western Front as an example. Furthermore, the phrase “once again” indicates that it was not the first to have such a tone. (D) CORRECT. The third paragraph states that Guadalcanal Diary was much closer in tone to The Green Berets and contrasts those twoto The Bridge on the River Kwai. This contrast is in terms of the greater ambivalence and moral confusion shown in The Bridge on the River Kwai. (E) The passage does not mention the financial success, or lack thereof, of any of the movies it discusses.

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31 Dec 2012, 06:20

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For years, U.S. employers have counted on a steady flow of labor from Mexico willing to accept low-skilled,low paying jobs. These workers, many of whom leave economically depressed villages in the Mexican interior, are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line. However, thanks to a dramatic demographic shift currently taking place in Mexico, the seemingly inexhaustible supply of workers migrating from Mexico to the United States might one day greatly diminish if not cease.

Predictions of such a drastic decrease in the number of Mexican immigrants, both legal and illegal, are driven by Mexico’s rapidly diminishing population growth. As a result of a decades-long family planning campaign, most Mexicans are having far fewer children than was the norm a generation ago. The campaign, organized around the slogan that “the small family lives better,” saw the Mexican government establish family-planning clinics and offer free contraception. For nearly three decades, the government’s message concerning population hasn’t wavered. In fact, the Mexican Senate recently voted to extend public school sex education programs to kindergarten.

The result of Mexico’s efforts to stem population growth is nothing short of stunning. In 1968, the average Mexican woman had just fewer than seven children; today, the figure is slightly more than two. For two primary reasons, Mexico’s new demographics could greatly impact the number of Mexicans seeking work in the U.S. First, smaller families by their nature limit the pool of potential migrants. Second, the slowing of Mexico’s population growth has fostered hope that Mexico will develop a healthy middle class of people content to make their livelihoods in their home country.

Though the former of these factors is all but assured, the growth of a healthy middle class is far from a foregone conclusion. The critical challenge for Mexico is what it does with the next 20 years. Mexico must invest in education, job training, and infrastructure, as well as a social-security system to protect its aging population. If Mexico is willing to step forward and meet this challenge, America may one day wake up to find that, like cheap gasoline, cheap Mexican labor has become a thing of the past.

1. The passage does NOT indicate which of the following concerning Mexico’s current demographics?· Due to the government’s family planning campaign, Mexico’s population is currently diminishing.· On average, Mexican women are having approximately one-third the number of children that they had in 1968.· Many Mexicans still migrate to the United States in search of work.· As a result of declining birth rates, Mexico’s population is aging.· A healthy middle class in Mexico has not yet fully developed.

2. Which of the following can be inferred about U.S. employers of Mexican immigrants?· Most of these employers pay Mexican immigrants less money than they pay American citizens.· Some of these employers violate wage laws.· Many of these employers work in the agricultural industry.· Without Mexican immigrants, some of these employers would be forced to close their businesses.· The majority of these employers show no concern for the welfare of their workers.

3. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage MOST likely agree?· The United States will soon have to replace lost Mexican labor with labor provided by other immigrant groups.· It is difficult for a country with a large population to develop a healthy middle class.· Many Mexican immigrants who work in the United States believe that they are taken advantage of by American employers.· Most rapidly growing countries should institute a family planning campaign to limit population growth.· Mexico does not currently have the infrastructure to develop a healthy middle class.

4. One function of the final paragraph of the passage is to· relate why the number of Mexican immigrants seeking work in the United States is certain to decline.· detail the successes of Mexico’s family planning campaign.· explain why the number of Mexican immigrants seeking work in the United States may not dramatically decrease.· specify the types of infrastructure in which Mexico must invest.· notify American employers that they will soon need to find alternative sources of labor.

Passage 3 1. The best way to answer a question that asks for information NOT indicated in the passage is to quickly skim through the passage and eliminate any answer choice that IS indicated in the passage. (A) CORRECT. The passage states several times that Mexico’s population growth is diminishing due to the country’s declining birth rate. However, the passage never suggests that Mexico’s population itself is diminishing. (B) The third paragraph states that, on average, a Mexican woman had just fewer than seven children in 1968. Today the average number of children born to a Mexican woman is slightly more than two, or approximately one-third of the 1968 figure. (C) The first paragraph states that U.S. employers are still counting on a steady flow of labor from Mexico. To reinforce this contention,the final sentence of the first paragraph says this flow might “one day” diminish, indicating that at present it is continuing. (D) The final paragraph states that Mexico’s population is aging. This aging of the population naturally results from the declining number of babies born in Mexico. As fewer babies are born, the average age of the population gradually increases. (E) The third and final paragraphs indicate that a healthy middle class in Mexico is a hope and a goal but that it is far from a foregone conclusion. 2. The correct answer to an inference question must bedirectly supported by evidence from the text. The passage states that U.S. employers of Mexican immigrants often provide low-skilled, low-paying jobs to individualswho "are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line." (A) No information is provided concerning the amount of money paid to American citizens. It is possible that there are many Americans who also work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line. (B) CORRECT. If some of these immigrant workers areaccepting wages “well below the U.S. minimum wage,” their American employers must be violating wage laws (i.e. paying wages below what the U.S. minimum wage requires). (C) Nothing in the passage suggests the particular industry of these employers. This answer is outside the scope of the argument, and assumes knowledge from sources other than the passage. (D) The passage does not suggest that, without labor from Mexico, these employers will be forced to close. This answer is both too predictive and outside the scope of the argument. (E) The passage suggests nothing about how these employers either regard or treat their workers. Moreover, indication that these employers show “no concern” is too extreme to be inferred from the passage. 3. A keen understanding of the main idea of the passage, in combination with a well developed sketch of the passage to help you quicklyaccess the pertinent information, will help you to accurately eliminate incorrect answer choices. (A) In both the first and fourth paragraphs the author indicates that the supply of Mexican labor to the United States might diminish over time if certain conditions in Mexico continue to change. The author does not believe this to be a foregone conclusion. Moreover, the author never hints that this hypothetical labor vacuum will have to be filled by other immigrant groups. (B) The author speaks only of Mexico and its challenges. It is beyond the scope of the passage to assume what the author might believe, in general, about countries with large populations. Additionally, the passage never quantifies the definition of a “large population.” (C) In the first paragraph, the author says Mexicanimmigrants are “more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line.” Thus, the workers themselves seem not to feel takenadvantage of. (D) Similar to answer choice B, this answer choice asks about the author’s attitude toward countries other than Mexico. The passage, however, discusses only Mexico and its policies and challenges. (E) CORRECT. In the final paragraph, the author indicates that "the growth of a healthy middle class is far from a foregone conclusion. The critical challenge for Mexico is what it does with the next 20 years.” Then, the author indicates the steps that Mexico must take. Thus, the author obviously believes that Mexico does not currently have the infrastructure to develop a healthy middle class. The key, for the author, is whether Mexico is willing and able to build this infrastructure. 4. The final paragraph primarily explains why the development of a healthy middle class, an important factor in limiting the desire of many Mexicans to migrate to the United States, is not a foregone conclusion. (A) The final paragraph actually explains why a dramatic reduction of Mexican immigration to the United States is still an uncertainty. (B) Mexico’s family planning campaign was not mentioned in the final paragraph. (C) CORRECT. The final paragraph explains that Mexico must take specific actions to foster the development of a healthy middle class. Without a healthy middle class, the author believes that large numbers of Mexicans will continue to seek work in the United States. (D) Though the author does mention that Mexico mustinvest in infrastructure, no mention is made of the types of infrastructure thisinvestment should benefit. (E) Though the final paragraph reinforces that Mexican immigration to the United States and thus Mexican labor might one day dramatically decline, this answer choice goes too far by stating that this "will" definitely happen. Further, is too great a leap to assume that the purpose of the paragraph isto explicitly put American employers on notice. Nothing in the paragraph, or the passage, suggests this intention.

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04 Jan 2013, 09:53

Souvik bhai....if in case my score goes below what I desire, it shall be cause of reading comprehension. Quite a daunting task ahead. How will I deal verbal on the test day, only God knows.Anyways, can you suggest any other source for passages. Just finished with the Veritas guide, so I need to implement the learnt skills.
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04 Jan 2013, 09:56

Marcab wrote:

Souvik bhai....if in case my score goes below what I desire, it shall be cause of reading comprehension. Quite a daunting task ahead. How will I deal verbal on the test day, only God knows.Anyways, can you suggest any other source for passages. Just finished with the Veritas guide, so I need to implement the learnt skills.

The veritas new book (the 10th anniversary edition) is probably the BEST I know!I had around 80-85% accuracy in OG RC (which is below what it should be if you are aiming at a V45 or something) but in veritas it went below 70 or 60 %.And I do find RC a bit of luck anyway. There will be passages that you would get hooked on to (or at least you could make yourself) and there are some which will repulse you beyond your intentions of getting a 760.

Good News is that RC is NOT adaptive.Bad news is you still got to do it.

I am sure you have checked out Ron Purewal's vids. Other that that I would just suggest practicing.
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04 Jan 2013, 10:07

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The 10th anniversary edition????I received the 2nd edition, but yeah, that book was also very good. They deserve the appreciation. How'd you compare the later passages of VP RC guide with those of OG12/13? I had almost 1 wrong per passage, infact it was exactly the case, exactly 1 wrong per passage throughout 23 passages.
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04 Jan 2013, 10:14

Quote:

I had almost 1 wrong per passage, infact it was exactly the case, exactly 1 wrong per passage throughout 23 passages.

Is this the accuracy on Veritas or OG?I think RC in OG is not very representative! Most of them are pretty long passages and what bugs me with RC is the timing part of it.I always get incredibly tensed if I get RC after the 30th minute and I get it wrong!So my RC strategy will not work for you. I always try to get the main idea questions. I read very attentively for the first 2 or 3 RCs but I do tend to skim if the RC appears in the post 30th minute on the GMAT.
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04 Jan 2013, 10:23

Well that was the accuracy in VP. It has been a while since I last tried RC passages from OG. But, now I feel that rather than trying RC passages from OG, trying RC passages from question pack would be better.
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04 Jan 2013, 10:30

Marcab wrote:

Well that was the accuracy in VP. It has been a while since I last tried RC passages from OG. But, now I feel that rather than trying RC passages from OG, trying RC passages from question pack would be better.

The one with GMATPrep Questions?I would suggest that you dont till you are done with the GMATPrep tests!OG is a good place to go! But i think its better to do RC in the online clickable/scrollable format.GMATPrep Question pack works like charm!
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Re: Film scholars agree that Hollywood portrayals of America at war follow
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07 Feb 2016, 00:34

Passage:1I got first 2 questions wrong in the 1st passage. Q2 i got wrong because i missed the word "least". so fine.

Q1: I didn't understand the 1st question. In the last para it is mentioned that producers originally thought would repel audiences and correct option B says "added footage made its portrayal of war less glorified and more ambiguous". Aren't these contradictory? i chose option D because i found this reasoning in B incorrect.
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21 Apr 2020, 13:37

Note there is a shortcut to get the right answer in question 1: C and D both indicate the additional footage "praises" war, so they can be eliminated together. E mentioned "removed footage" which is nowhere to find in the passage, remove. Now looking at A and B:

A is tempting, so refer back for exact wording: "Further evidence of this pattern can be seen in the release of Apocalypse Now Redux, which contained additional footage that the producers originally thought would repel audiences." Note "originally" and "would" indicate "less appealing" was not true.

So B is the correct answer. I think this question is a perfect example of how POE works to improve your solution efficiency